explorative case study on soil micronutrient availability in the province Groningen, The Netherlands

Summary

In arable cropping systems, there is a wide range of tillage and fertilization practices, such as conventional tillage, non-inversion tillage or no-till. Similarly, fertilization can consist out of inorganic fertilization on soil and/or leaf , solid or liquid animal manure, compost and/or the use of green manures. Each of these management practices has its own direct and/or indirect effect on the soils biological, chemical and physical properties. The chosen management practices create a unique soil environment, which has its effects on crop quantity and quality. This study evaluated the effects of tillage (non-inversion tillage) and fertilization practices (green manures) on soil micronutrient availability and specifically focussed on the effects of soil biological properties on micronutrient density in crops.